Yes, 'Oliver!' is dark, but it entertains with talent

Jan. 31, 2013

Springfield Little Theatre moves from political turmoil in 1830s Paris to the hardscrabble lives of London street urchins and their larcenous mentors during the same period.

Like “Les Miserables,” Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!”depicts all sorts of human misery, but with a tuneful lilt that locates optimism amid the squalor.

The new SLT production, its fourth since 1971, features a talented cast comprised of familiar faces and several newcomers who make strong impressions.

Captain Sibley, a third-grader at Rountree Elementary School, shines in the title role, as does Kelsey Waugaman as the intrepid woman who risks all to protect him. Young Sibley wins you over with his first utterance, the famous plea for a bit more workhouse gruel — “Please, sir, I want some more.” — then seals the deal with his sweet, unaffected singing of “Where Is Love?” and “Who Will Buy?”

Waugaman makes barmaid Nancy a saucy, bighearted figure who gains the audience’s sympathy from the get-go. She conveys the high spirits of “It’s a Fine Life” and “Oom-Pah-Pah,” then shifts to torch song intensity for the show’s big ballad, “As Long as He Needs Me.”

The “he” in question is Bill Sikes, a scoundrel who exploits young boys and abuses his beloved with equal indifference. Billy Gowers enters the show like an escapee from “The Threepenny Opera,” growling “My Name” in menacing tones best appreciated by his loyal canine pal, Bullseye (the well-trained boxer Alice in her theatrical debut).

Sikes’ shifty cohort in crime, master pickpocket Fagin, is nicely sung by Danny Reynolds, who reins in the ethnic and music hall traditions that usually inform the character, letting the words and music make their points without excessive underlining. The upside is crystal clarity in the clever lyrics of “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” and “Reviewing the Situation,” even if comic impact is sometimes sacrificed along the way.

The part of Jack Dawkins, aka the Artful Dodger, becomes a convincing “pants role” in the capable hands of Pipkin seventh-grader Olivia Tyson, who sparkles in “Consider Yourself,” “I’d Do Anything” and “Be Back Soon.” She also boasts one of the best English accents in the cast.

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Dean Price returns from the 1998 staging to embody parish beadle Mr. Bumble, a man who sells Oliver for a pittance, then gets karmic justice when he marries the bossy Widow Corney (Kris Langston). The duo has a fine time with “I Shall Scream,” an amusing number omitted from the Oscar-winning film version.

The boys, girls and adult citizens of London rise to the occasion in several ensemble numbers, notably the stirring “Who Will Buy?,” the musical high point of Act Two. Joey Williams’ choreography is lively without being overly busy, and conductor Aaron Smith gets fine playing from his 12-piece orchestra. Director and sound and lighting designer Jamie Bower and set designer Chuck Rogers bathe the stage in omnipresent smoke and striking lighting effects that heighten every mood.

A throwback to classic book musicals before the “Les Mis” sung-through era, “Oliver!” should entertain all but the youngest family members, who could be disturbed by the darker elements in Dickens’ timeless tale of one sordid city.